The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-07-13

II was one OF those men who, when the
master failed to appear for two days,
summoned up courage to knock at the
door. No answer, and not sound to be
heard.
When the men, thoroughly alarmed,
effected an entrance, they found old
Mulhgan dead, by his own hand--an evil
IDENTIFY premcditated act, for he was care
fully dressed in a new suit Of black broad
cloth. On the table near was $50, wrapped
in paper on which was written: "This
will bury me. Lay me under the oak
tree in the yard"
This was ALL Not another line of
writing was found in the house, and not
another cent of money, though It was
well known he had made good crops and
spent nothing. His furniture was of the
meanest, yet many valuable books were
found. Nothing, however, was discovered
that would help to reveal who he really
was, and where he came from. If he
had friends and relatives, they did not
answer any of the advertisements put in
the county newspapers; and, as no one
in that county was willing to buy the
property, saddled as it was with ghost,
the farm went gradually to ruin. II it
had not been for the ghost, the very name
of the man would have persisted from the
memory of the community.
Muldoon would have given much to
avoid the house, but the only wagon
road in that vicinity led directly in front
of it. When he arrived opposite it,
with kind of rimid curiosity he pulled
up, and took long look at the desolate
scene.
The eafternoon sun was shining brightly,
but it did not seem to bring warmth to
the cheerless place. Fences were rotting
on the ground, and overgrown with
briers; the doors and shutters of the
cabin had fallen, and looked like eyeless
sockets, through which you could see the
weed -choked fields beyond.
A sudden impulse came upon Muldoon
to peep in the cabin, and see how every
thing looked there. 1t is an impulse
which frequently moves towards to meet
something dreaded half way.
NAn' I'll jest be afther takin' little
peep Muldoon muttered, as he sprang
from the cart, his heart beating with
nervousness. "The sun is shinin', and
maybe if l see wild my two eyes that
there's nothin' in there, won't be so
scared comm Dack."
As he stepped on the porch, the rustic
of the dead leaves under his feet gave
him a strong inclination to take to his
heels and fly, but he forced himself to
enter the cabin and look around. Moth
ing there, but lizards skurrying over the
lesf-strewn floor, and cobwebs covering
wall and ceiling. The floor was rotting,
and the chimney had fallen in.
Where the brick hearth once stood,
there yawned black gulf; and Muldoon,
gazing down into its del tbs, heard a
sudden stir, and two fiery points of light
seemed to spring from the darkness.
The boy gave wild shrek, and dashed
out of the cabin in long leaps, which
quickly landed him in his cart. As for
Brandy and Whisky, the two wretched
old mules, if the lash gave them time for
thought between Mulligans and the
MILL they must have felt that q wildcat
wac Oq@ their backs.
''It Vas the ghost peepin' out av the
hole" Muidoon Thought. "An', howly
Mosesl how will pass tne=e tonight
and git home aloiveY"
The miller was furious at having corn
brought at that hour to grind.
tNo SOI tiuOuSh BiAhuih ohO OAN
Fell knowed it," he grumbled. sIt's
| jist his drafted meanness-hatin' to send
early-he's so 'fraid of losin minute in
the twelve hours. / amt a-goin' to start
my mill at this hour, not fur the President
of these United States. There, Pat,
dump that corn out, and take this here
bag of meal. Ef he'll send Monday, he'll
git the rest. He's so plague taxed
meant It'll teach him lesson when he
has to make two trips to mill"
Muldoon obeyed, but it seemed to him
an age before he got the corn out and
the meal in. II was nearly twilight now,
and would be almost dark before he
reached the Mulligan farm.
"Ef Bell don't drive the beatenest old
critters, +" the miller said, examining the
mules. They're plumb broke kown,
Jest comm four mile. Look here, Null
doom, ef the ghost chases you, you won't
have a chance. Jim Collins says as how
it follered him two mile, and it was the
tearinest race he ever tuck, and he wos
on Grey Eagle, too"
"And then how may the ghost look,
Misther Lytlel" asked poor Muldoon, his
teeth beginning to chatter.
"Oh, / amt never seed it; but heaps of
folks says as how it changes, sometimes
white and sometimes blacklr
"And, Misther Lytle, I'm terrible
scared, - Muldoon said. 81 see somethin'
dreadful by the chimney-like ghosts
eyes, all fire. Please, sur, let one ay the
b'ys come home wild metz
"There amt one on the place" the
miller said. 'It's Saturday, and they all
went visitin'. So you seed somethin' did
youl Well, Pat, jest whip up them crit
ters, and eff they're spry you'll git past
Mulligan fore dark. There's moon,
too.n
The miller was as firm believer in the
ghost as poor MuldOon himself, and he
felt for the lad as he saw him trying to
push Brandy and Whisky into unusual
speed. But in spite of Muldoon's efforts,
it was nearly dark before the haunted
house was reached. The stars shone,
however, and the young crescent moon
threw its feeble beams on the dark pines,
but there were weird shadows quivering
over the road.
~ wish l was back in old Oirland, "
Muldoon muttered, as he neared the
dreaded spot. "The Banshees are da-
cent sperits, and jest cry out. They
don't thry ter choke the loife outer a
4 IL ~. Il